DNR: 2025 preliminary opening weekend gun deer hunt numbers on track

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released their preliminary opening gun deer season numbers Nov. 25.

As of 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23, total license purchases, including gun, archery, crossbow, conservation patron and sports licenses, numbered 777,843, which was down only 0.03 percent from last year at the same time. Of those authorizations, 538,865 were for gun only privileges. This was also down slightly from the 541,258 gun only licenses in 2024. While the trend in recent years seems to point to fewer hunters heading out into the woods, state deer program specialist Jeff Pritzl said that half of Wisconsin’s hunters also had a crossbow or archery license and many had already been out deer hunting before the start of the nine-day. It was, however, a 1.1 percent decrease from the running five year average.

When it came to deer registrations over the opening weekend, hunters registered 90,671 deer statewide. This was a 3.9 percent increase over 2024 opening weekend numbers. 

In the Northern Forest Zone, an apples-to-apples comparison is not available for past years, as the new Deer Management Units (DMUs) went into place this year. The move brought deer management back to more of a habitat-based system rather than using county lines as boundaries, a move hunters have been asking for almost since the boundary changes ten years ago.

In DMU 122, 151 antlered deer and 84 antlerless deer were registered as of Nov. 25 at 5:52 a.m. In DMU 121, 305 antlered deer and 137 antlerless deer were registered in that same period.

Just to the east of those DMUs, Unit 116 saw 244 antlered and 72 antlerless deer registered. DMU 117 hunters registered 152 antlered deer and 82 antlerless deer. Pritzl said, with the boundary changes, it was not possible to give an exact comparison to recent years, but he felt, overall, numbers seemed to be on pace with the last few years. 

During his media briefing on Tuesday, he spoke about the impending snowstorm and stated that could affect hunting. The specific conditions at any given time after the storm could change how both deer and hunters were able to move around the woods in the northern forest. He said it could help or hurt hunters, based on the conditions where a person was hunting.

Safety

Unfortunately, there were two firearm incidents over opening weekend, according to DNR warden Major April Dombrowski. One involved a hunter being hit in the buttocks by a stray bullet while walking out to go hunting. The hunter was treated at a local hospital.

The other incident was a self-inflicted gun shot wound that ended in a fatality. This was a 24-year old hunter in Fond du Lac County. He was in a tree in a straddle stand when he unintentionally discharged his firearm, with a bullet striking the hunter in the chest. He was found several hours after hunting hours were over, on the ground on private land by family members. Both of these incidents are still under investigation.

The last fatality during the gun deer season happened in 2022.

CWD

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) sampling continues statewide, with Oneida County still being a priority sampling location due to findings of the disease in both the wild and captive herd. Numbers of positive tests are listed on the DNR website by year, with 2025 results being those received between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. 

So far, in Oneida County this year, 168 deer have been sampled, with five positive test being returned, according to the DNR. Since the start of testing in 1999, hunters in Oneida County have had 5,062 deer tested with 13 positive test results.

In Vilas County in 2025, 79 deer have been sampled through hunting surveillance, with no positive test results as of this writing. In total, since 1999, Vilas County hunters have had 33,106 deer sampled with only two positive tests.

When looking at statewide numbers, this year 6,485 deer have been sampled. Just over 700 positive tests have come back. Since 1999, hunters in the state have had 340,913 deer tested, yielding 15,070 positive test results. 

Hunters are asked to report sick deer or anything that seems abnormal. Report sightings of sick or dead deer to the DNR Wildlife Hotline by emailing: [email protected] or calling 608-267-0866.

Deer Donation Program

Processors are still accepting donations to the state’s Deer Donation Program. This program helps stock food pantries and supports residents in need locally. Hunters can find more information about the deer donation program on the DNR website at dnr.wi.gov.

Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].